WINFIELD – The site of the former Viking Steak House and Morgan's Char House in Winfield is once again home to a restaurant, thanks to new eatery Cooper's Corner.
Owned by Wheaton resident Steve Muehlfelt, the restaurant was scheduled to open Wednesday at 27W150 Roosevelt Road.
Morgan's Char House closed in March 2013 after opening in late 2008, said Winfield Community Development Coordinator Peter Krumins.
Muehlfelt purchased the property from Banco Popular in Schaumburg on Nov. 27, 2013, after it had gone into foreclosure, Muehlfelt said.
While extensive renovations were not necessary, the building required utility work and other preparations before it was ready to open, he said.
"I'm excited, but there was a lot of work," Muehlfelt said.
The restaurant will continue the location's steak house legacy, while adding a modern flare and expanding the selection beyond high-quality steaks to include pasta, chicken, seafood and more.
The kitchen is led by executive chef William Bast, who has about 30 years of experience as a chef in this area, including time spent at the old Hamlet restaurant in Carol Stream.
Categorized as somewhere between casual and fine dining, Cooper's Corner will offer customers the food expected of an upscale steak house at an affordable price, Bast said.
Muehlfelt, too, has experience in the restaurant businesses, having worked as the manager of Manhattan's American Bar and Grill in Carol Stream, which is owned by his sister, Sindy Rogers.
This will be Muehlfelt's first time owning a restaurant, and he's excited to bring good food back to the Roosevelt Road site, which has long been home to the restaurant business.
Although the 69,750-square-foot property where Cooper's sits is part of a residential zoning area, the village's zoning code allows for a restaurant to remain there, because that type of business was in the location before the zoning ordinance was adopted in 1962, Krumins said.
"I know there's great potential there," Muehlfelt said.
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Cooper's Corner
Where: 27W150 Roosevelt Road in Winfield
Hours: After 3 p.m. during opening week; will expand to lunch and dinner hours
Contact: 630-690-2668 (call ahead for hours)